Leading from the Front, Middle or Back? Which Boss is Yours?

There are many kinds of leader in the world of business. Three of those are bosses that lead from the front, from the middle or from the back.

The most common leadership style bosses take is leadership from the front. This is where the success of the company is heavily dependent on the leader. He or she set’s the rule, the tone, the method. In this method of leadership, the boss guides and points the way s/he way or direction and navigates the business is going. This boss is the big brain. The one with the big ideas and the one that carries the company’s or the department’s future on the shoulders.

A boss that prefer leadership from the middle recognized that s/he fills the important position of a “leader” while recognizing that the experience, knowledge and ability of others is equally important as his/her own. It’s somewhat a leadership in conjunction of others. While it’s true that the boss the image of leader, the role is somewhat distributed among the other staff. This boss is part of the worker bees. s/he gets the nectar from the flowers but also decides how much honey should be made and how much honey comb is needed while being the face of the company or department.

A boss that leads from the back is out of the spotlight. This kind of boss takes the role of the supporting encouraging and empowering leader. Rather than taking the center stage s/he allows the followers shine. Unlike a boss that leads from the front, the success of the business in heavily dependent on the followers. This kind of leadership works best when the “followers” are fully knowledgeable, don’t need micromanagement or supervision and possess the sense of ownership and “leadership” in their specific tasks. The boss takes the role of advisor and has full faith in his or her subordinates. In terms of anatomy the boss is the neck in this situation. It turns the head where it wants it to look while allowing it the freedom of creativity and innovation.

So which kind of leader is your boss? The pragmatic one that is shoulders by the responsibility of keeping the company successful who is the master expert who you learn from. The part of the team boss that works alongside you who shares his success or the motivator boss that nurtures your strengths and believes in your ability? Not one is better than the other boss but one is the better boss for your personality and working technique. Which boss you want to be? Which one fits your personality? Whichever kind your boss is, know s/he is doing the best “bossing” possible and deserves to be celebrated.